Statewide - in all other water bodies of North Dakota (not listed on page 9),
the only legal live baitfish are fathead minnows, creek chubs and sticklebacks.
Exception - rainbow smelt may be taken on the Missouri River System; however, all smelt taken must be dead when transported.
All legal live aquatic organisms used by anglers, including legal baitfish (e.g. fathead minnows), native amphibians (e.g. salamanders and frogs), invertebrates (e.g. crayfish and leeches) and insects must have been purchased or trapped in North Dakota.
No live aquatic organisms may be imported into the state by anglers. This includes live baitfish and leeches.
Anglers may not transport water, including that used for bait (e.g., bait buckets, etc.), away from waters of the state designated as infested with Class 1: Prohibited Aquatic Nuisance Species; this includes only the Red River. That means all water must be drained from bait buckets as anglers leave the shore or remove their boat from the water. Anglers must properly dispose of unused bait away from the river, as dumping bait in the water or on shore is illegal.
In all other waters of the state, legal live baitfish and other legal live aquatic bait may be transported in water but only in containers of five gallons or less. Any container (e.g. bait bucket) used to hold bait must be free of aquatic vegetation.
The transportation of live white suckers, other than in Richland, Cass, Traill, Grand Forks, Walsh and Pembina counties, is illegal.
It is illegal to possess more than an aggregate of 150 legal live baitfish. See page 16 for list of limits.
Licensed anglers may trap their bait but may not use more than one minnow trap and/or one dip net for taking smelt or legal live aquatic bait. The trap may not exceed 12 inches in diameter and 30 inches in length, with a throat opening not to exceed 1-1/4 inches. Dip nets may not exceed 24 inches in diameter or 36 inches in depth. All other nets (e.g. cast) are ILLEGAL. All individuals selling live aquatic bait must possess a bait vendors license.
Legal live bait and legal live baitfish may be taken in all public waters of the state and at all times except for the following:
- Those water bodies listed on page 9 as “no live baitfish” lakes.
- James River between Jamestown Dam and the South Dakota border.
- Water bodies designated as infested with prohibited or regulated aquatic nuisance species (see the Department’s website at gf.nd.gov for current list of lakes).
Exception - rainbow smelt may be taken on the Missouri River System; however, all smelt taken must be dead when transported.
It is illegal to use live rainbow smelt for bait anywhere except for: live smelt captured with a dip net or by hand in the Garrison Dam Tailrace may be used only in the Tailrace from the Garrison Dam downstream to the southern boundary of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Downstream Recreation Area.
It is illegal to possess, or possess with intent to sell, or to use as live baitfish, any species other than fathead minnows, creek chubs, sticklebacks and white suckers. The penalty for fishing with or possession of an illegal live baitfish is $250
